I’m not afraid of being convicted: Zuma

Former president Jacob Zuma says he is not afraid of being convicted of corruption‚ saying that judges sometimes convict people wrongly.

Zuma was speaking about his corruption trial during a homecoming event in Nkandla on Thursday.

"There is nothing that I am afraid of because sometimes judges convict a person‚ even if it's not correct. So they will be just convicting. I'm not being arrogant towards judges by saying that‚ but we all know that sometimes a person is convicted and appeal[s] to another court which can say the other judge was not correct‚” he said.

Zuma is set to appear in court next week after corruption‚ fraud‚ and racketeering charges were reinstated against him earlier in the year.

"So it happens that a conviction may not be correct. So I'm not afraid if they say I have a case [to answer to] because I've not committed a crime. The only crime I committed was to fight for freedom‚” he said.

The prayer service‚ held at the Mnyakanya sportsgrounds near Zuma's homestead‚ was attended by about 500 people‚ including various religious leaders. It was organised by the National Interfaith Council of South Africa in partnership with the Commission for Religious Affairs.

Zuma was accompanied by two of his wives‚ Sizakele MaKhumalo Zuma and Tobeka Madiba-Zuma.

Addressing the crowd‚ Zuma said he was also being accused of corruption for building a luxury home in Nkandla.

"Even now they say Zuma is corrupt. I built my home and I think they were fighting [because they say] that you can't build a house like this in Nkandla. [They say] he has stolen this money‚ when I had not stolen money. They investigated and never found anything that I stole‚” he said.

Zuma said he had grown up under Christian and traditional teachings‚ which had taught him respect - and that stealing was not right.

"No matter what people may say about my name‚ and if they say‚ ‘Zuma you have done something wrong’‚ I hear nothing. I'm not corrupt‚" he said.